2007-05-12 05:53:11 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Have you seriously considered the reliability of the bible? Ignore for the moment the whole notion of God and just think about the book's content.
Investigation by even the most skeptical will also reveal that there exists NO SINGLE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY that has been shown to prove error, factually or doctrinally, in the Bible. There is lots of speculation and hypotheses, but not a single verifiable fact. If you or anyone should discover one, you will become quite famous. Yet, since recorded history, no one has offered it up and entered their names into the history books. Instead what we have is pseudo-science pandering to the masses, as in the recent John Cameron tomb of Christ debacle.
As a simple experiment, try turning your objective intellect towards the argument that no book, comprising 66 “mini-books”, written over a period of 1500 years by 40 vastly different authors, having an outstanding literary internal consistency and coherency, could be written by mankind alone. The bible’s authors ranged from high government officials, peasants, military officers, and fishermen, to a prime minister, a cupbearer for a king, religious teachers, and others.
Add to that the survival of the book’s ancient manuscripts, numbering in the tens of thousands, over thousands of years and yet these manuscripts remain over 98% textually pure. How this possible, when compared to all the other ancient writings are so few in number? For instance, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain all books of the Old Testament, except Esther, and have been dated to before the time of Christ. The earliest copy of Homer's Iliad dates to 500 BC, some 500 years after it was written. Only 643 copies of Illiad exist. The earliest copy of Ceasar's The Gallic Wars dates to 900 AD, some 1,000 years after it was written. Only 10 copies exist.
In comparison, there are over 24,000+ New Testament manuscripts, the earliest one dating to within 24 years after Christ. Now why would we accept the authenticity of Homer's or Caesar's writings and not the New Testament manuscripts? How can we objectively and rationally explain this book, the Bible, especially in light of the claims I have made above?
Thus, when I examine the evidence on both sides, I can only rationally conclude that given the bible's accuracy on so many issues, and that I have been given no reason to doubt its validity on all issues it contains, especially when it speaks to God's divine revelations.
While all of my questions will never be definitively answered, I find that rationally my belief is on solid ground. There are many things in the world we do not fully understand or “see”, yet we have no problems in believing them. For example, solar physics is not fully known, yet we all objectively accept, using faith and scientific discourse, the "fact" that the sun will rise tomorrow.
Persons that seek absolute proof of something are inconsistently applying logic and rationality, for they do not seek this absoluteness in all things. Hence, their epistemologies are not fully formed; they speak without proper understanding of the nature of knowledge.
Why is it we can believe in many things using rational analysis, even when what we believe is only partially known, yet when it comes to matters like a supreme being, we suddenly want the "show me beyond a shadow of doubt" proof? As Aristotle once stated, "It is the mark of an instructed mind to rest satisfied with the degree of precision which the nature of the subject admits, and not to seek exactness when only an approximation of the truth is possible."
Lastly, the Bible also validates its divine authorship through fulfilled prophecies. An astonishing 668 prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven false (three are unconfirmed).
An honest study of biblical prophecy will compellingly show the divine authorship of the Bible. Further, archeology confirms (or in some cases supports) accounts in the biblical record. No other holy book comes close to the Bible in the amount of evidence supporting its divine authorship.
2007-05-12 06:02:30 · answer #1 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
The Old Testament canon entered into Christian use within the Greek Septuagint translations and usual books, and their differing lists of texts. In addition to the Septuagint, Christianity eventually further more than a few writings that might turn out to be the New Testament. Somewhat one of a kind lists of authorised works persevered to expand in antiquity. In the fourth century a sequence of synods produced a record of texts same to the 39-to-forty six-guide canon of the Old Testament and to the 27-guide canon of the New Testament that might be eventually used to in these days, so much principally the Synod of Hippo in AD 393. Also c. four hundred, Jerome produced a definitive Latin version of the Bible (see Vulgate), the canon of which, on the insistence of the Pope, was once in accord with the previous Synods. With the improvement of hindsight it may be stated that this approach simply set the New Testament canon, despite the fact that there are examples of alternative canonical lists in use after this time. A definitive record didn't come from an Ecumenical Council till the Council of Trent (1545–sixty three).
2016-09-05 18:01:27 · answer #2 · answered by duchane 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The salvation promise, and God's keeping promise, and Jesus help promise, and all the things that have come true that the Bible said would come true, and all the things that have been found that the Bible talked about.
I love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and nothing can change my love for him.
2007-05-12 07:42:07 · answer #3 · answered by 1saintofGod 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don`t remember becoming a believer, I was born one, but I always go back to the book of John chapter 10th and 15th.
2007-05-12 06:00:22 · answer #4 · answered by Jane Marple 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" Matthew 7:7, 8
An actual experience with God made a believer out of me. People can read the Bible and not find God. But when a person reads and seeks wholeheartedly they will find Him.
2007-05-12 06:16:33 · answer #5 · answered by V 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It was His love.
God, Himself IS love -- And Love, itself is a fruit of the Spirit --
And Jesus said if we loved him we would keep His commandment to love God and love one another.
I needed to have that love.
Our choice to be loving to one another is an expression of love for God.
1st Corinthians 13:4-8a Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. Love is eternal.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.
John 15:9-14 I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you.
May we find a way to make these our path daily.
Peace.
2007-05-12 06:40:48 · answer #6 · answered by Depoetic 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stanly, I do beleive that there was nothing straight from the bible, apart from belief and a prayer, that God became my whole life.
2007-05-12 06:05:17 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Reading the "holy" Bible made an atheist of me.
I don't see how anybody can read the Bible honestly and not come away an atheist. The same holds true of the Quran and other "holy" books.
2007-05-12 05:55:59 · answer #8 · answered by nondescript 7 · 1⤊ 5⤋
The part where those 3 Jew kids were in that Furnace no wait how about when ole Danny had a sleep over with the Lions... or was it Johna and Shamoo... **** if I know dude... the Bible is a lie!!
2007-05-12 05:57:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
The fact that it is completely fiction helped alot. Then I saw Benny Hinn and realized that I too could make a lot of money. That is how I became ordained.
2007-05-12 05:58:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋